遗嘱

• Pinyin: yí zhǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 遗 = 辶 + 贵 (movement + precious — left behind); 嘱 = 口 + 属 (mouth + to belong/enjoin — verbal instructions entrusted to someone)

Meaning

A will; a testament. A legal or personal document in which a person expresses their wishes regarding the distribution of their estate or other matters after death.

Both a legal term (立遗嘱 — to make a will; 遗嘱执行人 — executor) and used in broader personal contexts (expressing final wishes). Distinct from 遗愿 (unfulfilled aspirations) and 遗言 (last spoken words). Common collocations: 公证遗嘱 (notarised will), 口头遗嘱 (oral will), 撤销遗嘱 (revoke a will).

Examples

1. 律师建议老人尽早立下公证遗嘱，将名下房产和存款的处置方式以法律文件的形式固定下来，以防日后产生家庭纠纷。 The lawyer advised the elderly person to make a notarized will as early as possible, legally documenting how their property and savings should be handled to prevent family disputes later on.
2. 这份尘封多年的遗嘱在整理遗物时被意外发现，其中的内容令所有继承人都大感意外。 This long-sealed will was unexpectedly found while sorting through the deceased’s belongings, and its contents came as a shock to all the heirs.
3. 依据遗嘱中的明确指示，逝者将个人藏书全数捐赠给公共图书馆，而非留给子女继承。 Following the clear instructions in the will, the deceased donated their entire personal book collection to the public library rather than leaving it to their children.

Usage Guide

Context: law, family, finance, estate planning

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 为避免财产纠纷，中老年人应趁身体尚好时咨询律师，依法订立公证遗嘱，明确资产处置和受益人。(To avoid property disputes, middle-aged and elderly people should consult a lawyer while still in good health and make a notarised will that clearly sets out asset distribution and beneficiaries.)
• 法院审理遗产纠纷时发现，当事人生前订立过三份遗嘱，内容矛盾，引发其效力认定争议。(When hearing the inheritance dispute, the court found that the deceased had made three wills, and their conflicting contents led to a dispute over validity.)

Don't Say

• 他写了遗嘱说要努力工作 — 遗嘱 is specifically a legal document governing estate and post-death wishes; personal aspirations or motivational notes are not 遗嘱; use 日记、信件、嘱咐 for general written advice

Origin & History

遗 (left behind by the deceased) + 嘱 (to instruct/entrust — 口 mouth + 属 to belong/to enjoin, instructing with the mouth)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Older adults/All ages

Social background: Universal